Caustic Comfort
by 12AngryMen
Summary: After accidentally injuring Mina during a training exercise, Izuku questions if he has any right trying to be a hero. Seeing how distraught he is, Mina decides to recount a story of a time she caused a very similar accident, and how she learned to overcome it. Will it be enough to restore Izuku's confidence?


Been getting tons of oneshot ideas lately. Here's another one I just had to get down.

Don't have a source for the cover image for this one, unfortunately. If by chance someone recognizes where it came from, please let me know.

* * *

The nurse office of U.A. was one of its most important facilities. Due to the intensity of the school's renowned hero course, injuries were a common occurrence throughout the year.

Recovery Girl, the well-respected nurse of U.A., was of two minds about the rate of injuries the school's students received during their tenure here. On one hand, she felt accidents were far too frequent, and a sign of poor and reckless teaching. However, she also understood these children were going to be facing very serious danger as part of their careers. Better to get a bit scraped up now than in an actual fight they were underprepared for.

That said, there was one student (and teacher) she was rapidly losing patience with.

"You did it _again_?"

Izuku Midoriya looked at the floor as he clutched his right arm. Intense pain shot through the limb as it hung loosely from his shoulder. Beside him, the lanky form of All Might stood, an apologetic look on his face.

Once again, the newest wielder of One for All had shattered his arm. He had been at U.A. for about two weeks now, and he had already been sent to the nurse at least five times. Naturally, all of the injuries he showed up with were self-inflicted, backlash from the immense power of a Quirk that wasn't fully his.

"How many times must I repeat myself, All Might? You're pushing this boy much too hard!" Izuku didn't react as the elderly lady began assailing his crippled idol with her cane as she scolded him. He simply continued to stare at the floor, a vacant stare in his eyes. Recovery Girl would have reprimanded him as well, but her priority was getting his arm treated first.

Setting him on a bed, she applied her Quirk and set about fitting his arm into a cast.

"You simply can't keep doing this to yourself, young man," she said as she fixed the student up. Izuku remained silent, that same look in his eyes. "…Is something the matter?" He could hear the sudden concern in her voice.

The injured boy wasn't normally this sullen when he came here. Sure, he felt bad worrying Recovery Girl with his injuries, but that wasn't what was bothering him today.

"Young Midoriya…" All Might let out a sigh as he spoke, approaching the bed. He rested a hand on his ward's uninjured shoulder. "I told you, it wasn't your fault."

"Wasn't his-All Might, what are you talking-

"Yes it was!" The two adults jumped a bit as Izuku sprang to life, now looking at All Might. There was pain in his eyes, and it clearly wasn't from his arm. "I…I put too much power behind that punch… If I had a little more control, the floor wouldn't have… She wouldn't have…" Tears were welling up in his eyes.

Before anyone else could speak, the sound of the door opening got their attention. All Might immediately shifted into his muscular form.

Standing in the doorway was Mr. Aizawa. In his arms was the source of Izuku's grief.

"Ow ow ow…" Mina Ashido muttered to herself, eyes squeezed shut as she gritted her teeth. She had dirt, scuffs and scrapes all over her body, and what was very clearly a broken leg.

"Oh my… Set her down there, please." Recovery Girl instructed.

"Ashido…" Izuku mumbled, guilt overtaking him as he watched his homeroom teacher place her on the bed next to his.

"I presume this is what you were talking about?" The school nurse asked, looking back at All Might, who slowly nodded.

"No serious injuries aside from her leg," Aizawa informed the old lady. He shot a look at Izuku, then at All Might.

The 9th wielder of One for All was responsible for his classmate's injuries. They had been in the middle of combat training at Ground Beta, with Mina and Izuku on opposing sides. He had actually been facing off against Kirishima at the time while Mina was dealing with Tsuyu on another floor.

Izuku had intended to just use his finger in an attack against Kirisima, but the redhead was being pretty relentless in his attack. The green haired boy had panicked for just a moment, lost his focus for a split second… And in that instant, the egg in the microwave exploded. A full-powered smash using his whole arm came out, decimating the surrounding area. His attack managed to reach where Tsuyu and Mina were facing off, crumbling the floor beneath them. The frog girl managed to leap to safety, and Kirishima was ultimately fine thanks to his armor, but Mina…

She fell two stories. Izuku vividly remembered watching how her leg bent as she landed on it, and the scream that followed. All Might obviously called off the exercise immediately, getting his protégé to the nurse as Aizawa tended to Mina, making sure could be comfortably moved before heading there himself.

Recovery Girl set about tending to the pink student. Mina's sobbing quickly ceased as the healer's Quirk took hold. The combination of her leg fracture and all the small cuts all over her person (the result of shrapnel-like debris from Izuku's smash) caused her to quickly pass out as her body's stamina was drained. Izuku continued to gaze at his classmate, tears still in his eyes.

"Young Midoriya, it's not-

"All Might." Aizawa cut off his fellow pro with a somewhat stern voice. "Nezu wants to see us. Says we need to talk about your teaching methods.

"But…" The #1 hero groaned. "Very well." He gave Izuku an apologetic look before following his coworker out the door. Recovery Girl continued treating Mina as they left.

"I…Is she going to be okay?" Izuku asked in a shaky voice.

"She'll be just fine. Just needs some rest now." Turning to look at her other patient, the nurse frowned. "I'm not entirely sure what happened, but… You seem to think you're responsible for this."

"…I am." The conscious student replied in a low voice. Letting out a sigh, his elder approached his bed.

"Whatever happened, I know you didn't mean to do it. With a Quirk like yours, these sorts of things will-

"Recovery Girl, please report to Gamma Gym." A voice suddenly called out on the loudspeaker. Looking up, the old nurse sighed again.

"It's one of those days, I suppose…" She looked back at Izuku. "The two of you should be fine after some rest. But I don't want you moving until I get back, understand?"

"…Yes ma'am." Her patient nodded, knowing by now to listen to her in these situations.

"Good. I should be back soon." Taking her cane, Recovery Girl headed out the door.

With the adults gone, Izuku was now alone with his thoughts. As he looked back at the unconscious Mina, he felt his chest tighten.

Ever since receiving One for All, he had never lost sight of his dream of becoming a hero. Sure there were a few times where things seemed dicey, even if you didn't count the unintended villain attack last week, but they never caused his confidence to waver for long. He knew the road ahead was going to be long and hard and that mastering his Quirk would take some time.

Today, though… This was the first time since getting a Quirk that the boy had truly begun to doubt himself. The first time he asked himself "can I really be a hero?"

Injuring himself was one thing. It wasn't pleasant, but he had no problems sacrificing himself if it meant saving others. But this time, he wasn't the only one his Quirk had hurt.

He had lost focus for just a few seconds, but that was all it took for him to do what he had done to Mina. It was the first he had truly realized how dangerous One for All could be if misused. The tiniest mistake with it could cost others dearly.

It made him feel sick just thinking about it. Because of him, an innocent person had been hurt. And not lightly, either; that leg fracture did _not_ look good. Mina's cries of pain still echoed in the distraught boy's mind.

What kind of hero could he expect to be if this sort of thing kept happening? Seeing just how easy it was to make this kind of mistake, he couldn't imagine what might happen in a more crowded area. What kind of damage would he cause then?

…What if someone died because of him?

That last thought made Izuku shudder. But while it was an extreme case… It could happen. He would eventually command all the power of All Might and more, and that kind of strength had the potential to cause a lot of collateral damage.

…Was he really up to this? Was it right for him to be the one to wield this power?

A soft groan got the Quirk inheritor's attention. Looking back at the bed next to him, he saw Mina had begun to stir. Her energy returning after being expended to heal her wounds, the girl's black eyes fluttered open.

"Ng… Owie…" She slowly sat up. "Man, I feel weird… Where the heck am I?" Rubbing her eyes, she looked around, then noticed her leg cast. "…Oh, right." Izuku looked away, not sure he could face her right now. "…Midoriya?" He tensed up when she called out his name. Part of him just wanted to ignore her, to pretend to be asleep. But deep down, he knew he should talk to her. If nothing else, he needed to apologize.

"…Hi Ashido," he greeted as he turned to face her. "H…How are you feeling?" The girl stretched for a moment before responding.

"Stiff. Tired. Sore," she answered. "But… A heck of a lot better than before. Let me guess, Recovery Girl?" Izuku nodded. "Man, she's really something."

"…Yeah." He owed a lot to the old nurse.

"Right, you probably know that better than anyone," Mina joked, chuckling a bit. "How's the arm, by the way?" Her classmate blinked.

"Uh… F-Fine."

"Good!" A smile appeared on the acid wielder's face.

Her demeanor surprised the boy. She was acting like nothing had happened, like he hadn't been directly responsible for putting her in this situation. She wasn't angry, or scared, or… Anything. A bit less energetic than normal, maybe, but still just normal Mina.

It honestly just made him feel worse. He didn't _deserve_ to be treated by her this way. Not after what he did.

"Soooo… We waiting for anything in particular, or-

"A-Ashido." He couldn't take it anymore. "L-Look, I… You… Your leg…" His guilt was making it a struggle to get the proper words out.

"Huh?" Mina tilted her head. "What's wrong?"

Was she doing this intentionally? Was she just feigning ignorance to the whole thing to try to make him feel worse?

"I-I'm sorry!" Izuku managed to blurt out. "I… I'm so… So sorry." He lowered his gaze; he couldn't bear to look her in the eye right now. "I…I couldn't control my Quirk. That attack that b-broke everything w-wasn't supposed to… Wasn't supposed to be that strong." Mina was silent for a moment; had she remembered now?

"…Oh, that?" Her nonchalant tone made her classmate's eyes widen a bit. "You don't have to apologize or anything. Accidents happen, it's fine-

"No it's not!" He shouted, his eyes looking up again. "I… I _hurt_ you! And Asui and Kirishima were in trouble too!" Tears were forming in his eyes again, and his voice was wavering. "I…I lost control. I-It's not fine! Heroes don't… Heroes don't _do_ that!" Droplets rolled down his cheeks as he let it all out. "I-I…I hurt you," he repeated. "I…H-How can I c-call m-myself a h… A hero if I put o-other people in danger!"

Burying his face in his one good arm, the guilt-ridden boy sobbed. He had never been good at controlling his emotions.

"…Midoriya."

…Just like his Quirk. If he could even call it "his" Quirk.

"Midoriya."

He should just ask All Might to take it back. Surely his idol could find a better successor than-

"Midoriya!" Mina's voice cut through the boy's self-doubt. "Look at me."

Slowly, Izuku lifted his head from his arm, turning his head back to his classmate. She was now sitting on the edge of her bed, facing him directly. There was an uncharacteristically serious look on her face.

"…It's alright." Her voice was soft. Izuku opened his mouth to protest, but she held up a hand. "Uh! Zip it." He slowly shut his jaw, remaining silent. "Let me talk, okay?"

"…Okay." While he didn't know Mina that well, Izuku had been around her enough to know this behavior was unusual for her. Whatever she had to say must have been important, at least to her.

For a moment, she didn't say anything to him. Looking at the floor, she appeared to be gathering her thoughts.

"…Look, I get it. Really I do." Her gaze returned to him, eyes full of sympathy. "I…Know what it's like to, well, hurt someone because of a stupid mistake." Izuku was confused where this was going. "My Quirk, it… Not to brag, but I like to think I have a pretty good handle on it."

"Y-You definitely do," Her fellow patient agreed. The level of control Mina had over her acid was astounding. Not only could she aim it with extreme precision so as not to cause any unintentional harm to someone, but she could fine-tune its potency at a moment's notice to serve her needs. She was, like just about everyone in the class, a true expert. Not that it was surprising; one needed to be that good to make it in to U.A.

"Well, it wasn't always like that," Mina continued. "I had a tougher time with it when I was growing up, let me tell you. I just… Didn't really care as much back then. Just figured I had a cool Quirk and would become an awesome hero because of it." Sighing, she looked at the wall. "Then… When I was 8, I…" Izuku could tell by her pause that whatever she was about to say was a sensitive topic. "Well, I have a younger brother. And one day we got into a little fight over… I dunno, something stupid. We were wailing on each other, pulling hair, that sort of thing. Then in the heat of it all, I just…" She trailed off, biting her lip.

"I…I think I understand." Izuku could fill in the rest himself.

"I didn't mean to do it, of course. It just… Happened." She shook her head slowly. "It was… Terrifying. Fortunately, I couldn't make acid as strong as I can now at the time, but it was still pretty bad."

They were both silent for a moment. Izuku couldn't imagine what must have been going through 8-year-old Mina's head.

"He was fine after a trip to the hospital, but I just…" Finally, Mina looked back at him. "It was the first time I realized just how dangerous my Quirk could be. And that… That really scared me."

She really did know how he felt. Much like her, Izuku hadn't fully appreciated the potential harm One for All could cause until today.

"And for a little while, I seriously questioned if I could become a hero." Green eyes went wide at this statement. "I mean, like you said, heroes don't lose control of their powers like that. They don't hurt people… I mean, besides the bad guys." She briefly wiped an eye. "So like I said, I get it."

"But… Y-You're here." Something must have happened to make her stop thinking like that, which Izuku assumed was the point of this whole story.

"Sure did. Know why?" Mina's face brightened a bit as she asked this. "Because of my brother."

"Huh?" He didn't quite get it.

"After seeing me mope for a couple days, little guy asked me what was wrong. I told him, and well… What he said kinda surprised me. 'Just hurt the bad guys from now on', he told me. Like… He never once doubted that I'd become a hero one day." She chuckled, shaking her head. "Looking back it was kinda silly, but at the time it was something I needed to hear. If the guy I hurt wasn't going to stop believing in me, then I sure wasn't."

Izuku considered her words.

"S-So, y-you're saying you-

"Still think you'll make a kickass hero one day? Sure do!" That familiar smile returned. "Just make sure you only hit the bad guys from now on!" She echoed her brother's words.

The boy felt a slight tingle in his cheeks. Mina had been quite vocal about her admiration for him after his first fight with Bakugou. She did seem to think he had what it takes to be a pro.

Even after this…

"B-But I… I can't just forget about this."

"So don't. After my brother and I talked, I started to get real serious about controlling my Quirk. Promised myself I'd never let that happen again. Like, I still think about it all the time, and I still feel bad about it, but… It's a motivator for me now."

Izuku turned to look at the wall, thinking about everything he had just been told for a long time.

Mina had, like him, accidentally caused injury to someone else with her Quirk. But unlike him, she ultimately decided to let that incident to strengthen her resolve rather than weaken it.

He clenched his good hand into a fist. It was like a veil had been lifted over his mind. What was he thinking, wanting to just quit like that? Sure he was right to worry for Mina, and even feel guilty for what he did, but that didn't mean he should give up on his dream. How long had he wanted to be a hero now?

Like Mina said, he just needed to promise himself not to let this sort of thing happen to anyone else. He just needed to work even harder than before to make truly make One for All his.

Heroes didn't lose control, they didn't put people in danger… But they also never gave up.

"There you go!" Mina had noticed the fierce look in Izuku's eyes. He shot a look at her.

"Thank you, Ashido," he said, the confidence in his voice clear.

"Don't mention it. Now, how long do we have to-

Before the pink girl could finish, the sound of the door opening cut her off.

"Honestly, kids are getting more and mor reckless these days…" Recovery Girl muttered to herself as she entered the room. She quickly noticed the conscious Mina. "Oh good, you're awake! How are you feeling?" The bedridden girl looked back at Izuku, grinning.

"We're both just fine."

* * *

Mina wiggled her toes, enjoying the feeling of her leg being free from the cast. Recovery Girl's Quirk was nothing short of amazing; her fracture had healed in a matter of hours.

"Let me know if anything feels out of place, dear," the old nurse instructed her.

"I will. Thanks again!" Hugging the elderly lady to show her appreciation, the fully healed student left the nurse's office. Aizawa had said she was free to go home for the day once her injuries were healed, something she was _very_ grateful for.

She thought about the events of today as she walked down the hall. Falling from that building had certainly been scary, and her leg had gotten busted up real bad. But she couldn't be mad at Izuku for it, of course. Accidents happen; she knew that all too well. Better to make those sorts of mistakes now while they were learning, right?

Still, she understood why he felt so miserable about the whole thing. Bringing up that incident with her brother was a little tough, as it was something she didn't like talking about much, but it was something he needed to hear. While she didn't know him all that well, she knew he would have let that continue to bother him for a long time if she hadn't said anything. Poor guy was just too emotional for his own good.

Still, it was good that he cared that much. It was clear he had a real hero's heart.

"Wonder if he's still here?" She asked herself. Because his injury had been a bit less serious, he had been dismissed before her.

Her question was answered when she rounded the corner and nearly ran straight into the green-haired boy.

"Ah S-Sorry!" He apologized, backing up.

"You're good, dude." She could tell by his body language that he was definitely back to his somewhat awkward self. "How you feeling?"

"B-Better. You?"

"Like a million yen," she said with a grin. "So, what are you still doing here?"

"W-Well, um… I-I was actually looking for… For you." There was red in his cheeks.

His classmate smirked.

"Oh? Couldn't get enough of this pretty face?" She asked, waggling her eyebrows.

"Wh…N-N-No, I didn't m-mean it like… I-I'm not…" Izuku's whole face turned scarlet as he flailed his arms in front of his face. Mina giggled heartily. This guy was fun to mess with…

"Just kidding, dude. Seriously, what's up?" Recovering from her comment, the shy boy cleared his throat.

"W-Well, um… I know you said that… That everything's fine between us, but…" He looked at the floor. "But I-I still feel awful about it. I…I wanted to do something to make it up to you." Mina folded her arms, sighing but smiling. This guy…

"Midoriya, you don't have to-

"P-Please!" He interrupted, folding his hands together in front of him. "I… Th-There must be something I can do." His eyes begged for her to accept his offer.

Oh man… How could she say no to that face?

"…Alright, alright. How about… You buy me an ice cream, and we call it even. Deal?" A simple enough request, but hopefully it would satisfy him.

"Oh! Um… Sure, that sounds good." He almost looked surprised by her sudden turnaround.

"Great! Come on, I know a great place."

"Huh? R-Right now?" Mina raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah right now. Unless… You weren't being serious?"

"N-No no no!" Izuku waved his hands in front of his face. "Th-That's fine! Now's fine." His new friend beamed.

"Cool. Then let's get moving."

With that, the pair headed for the school's exit as they set off on their quest for ice cream. Mina took another look at her companion, who seemed quite nervous now. He was certainly an interesting guy… Kinda cute, too.

Feeling the slightest hint of warmth in her cheeks as she thought this, the horned girl returned her attention to the path ahead. She didn't notice Izuku steal a look at her of his own.

Neither of them knew it yet, but they were about to head off on their first date.

* * *

Well that was a fun one. Sort of a role reversal of the first chapter of Acidic Affection in a few ways. I'd be willing to continue it, but, well… It'd probably just end up being the same thing as that story! So instead, I'll keep it as a oneshot. Like, dislike, whatever, feel free to let me know what you thought.


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